Nemesia plant named ‘Innkarwhi’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct variety of  Nemesia  plant named ‘Innkarwhi’, characterized by its compact, upright and rounded growth habit; vigorous growth habit; freely flowering habit; white-colored flowers; and strongly fragrant flowers.

Botanical designation: Nemesia hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Innkarwhi’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Nemesia, botanically known as Nemesia hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Innkarwhi’.

The new Nemesia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Gensingen, Germany. The objective of the breeding program is to create new uniform Nemesia cultivars with fragrance and attractive flower coloration.

The new Nemesia originated from a cross-pollination during the summer of 2001 in Gensingen, Germany of a proprietary selection of Nemesia hybrida identified as code number N01 2-4, not patented, as the female, or seed parent with a proprietary selection of Nemesia hybrida identified as code number N01 4-3 tet 4, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Nemesia was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Gensingen, Germany during the spring of 2001.

Asexual reproduction of the new Nemesia by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Gensingen, Germany since the spring of 2002, has shown that the unique features of this new Nemesia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Innkarwhi has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature, daylength and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Innkarwhi’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Innkarwhi’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Nemesia:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and rounded growth habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely flowering habit.     -   4. White-colored flowers.     -   5. Strongly fragrant flowers.

Plants of the new Nemesia differ from plants of the female parent selection primarily in growth habit as plants of the female parent selection have longer internodes than plants of the new Nemesia. In addition, plants of the new Nemesia do not produce seeds whereas plants of the female parent selection produce seeds.

Plants of the new Nemesia differ from plants of the male parent selection primarily in growth habit as plants of the male parent selection have longer internodes than and are not as freely branching as plants of the new Nemesia.

Plants of the new Nemesia can be compared to plants of the cultivar Imprinno, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Gensingen, Germany, plants of the new Nemesia differed from plants of the cultivar Imprinno in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Nemesia were more vigorous and stronger         than plants of the cultivar Imprinno.     -   2. Plants of the new Nemesia had shorter internodes than plants         of the cultivar Imprinno.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Nemesia, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Nemesia.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Innkarwhi’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a close-up view of typical flowers of ‘Innkarwhi’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown in Bonsall, Calif. in containers in an outdoor nursery during the summer and under conditions which closely approximate commercial production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from about 18° C. to 38° C. and night temperatures ranged from about 16° C. to 24° C. Plants were pinched one time and were about nine weeks old when the photographs and the description were taken. In the description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Nemesia hybrida cultivar Innkarwhi. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Nemesia             hybrida identified as code number N01 2-4, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Nemesia             hybrida identified as code number N01 4-3 tet 4, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About ten days at 20° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About two weeks at 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About two             weeks at 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About two to             three weeks at 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Compact, upright and rounded growth             habit. Vigorous growth habit. Relatively short internodes.             Freely branching; about eight to ten primary branches             develop per plant with numerous secondary and tertiary             laterals.         -   Plant height.—About 32 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 35 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—About 28 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 2.5 mm.         -   Internode length.—About 2.6 cm.         -   Strength.—Strong.         -   Aspect.—Mostly upright to slightly outwardly slanting.         -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Color.—144A. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.         -   Length.—About 4.1 cm.         -   Width.—About 2.3 cm.         -   Shape.—Ovate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Serrate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate; arcuate.         -   Color.—Developing foliage, upper surface: Darker than 138A.             Developing foliage, lower surface: 146B. Fully expanded             foliage, upper surface: 147A; venation, 146B. Fully expanded             foliage, lower surface: 147B; venation, 146B.         -   Petiole length.—About 3 mm.         -   Petiole diameter.—About 3 mm.         -   Petiole texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Petiole color, upper and lower surfaces.—144A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Zygomorphic solitary flowers             arranged on terminal racemes; flowering acropetally towards             the apex. Flowers bilabiate. Flowers face upright to             outwardly. Flowers last about three to four days on the             plant. Flowers not persistent. Freely flowering habit with             about 14 to 15 flowers per inflorescence and about 100 open             flower and flower buds developing per lateral branch.         -   Fragrance.—Strong; sweet, pleasant, vanilla-like.         -   Natural flowering season.—In Germany, plants flower from May             through September; flowering continuous during this period.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 4.5 cm to 5 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 4 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 1.5 cm.         -   Flower length.—About 1.8 cm.         -   Flower depth.—About 1 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 1.1 cm.             Shape: Obovate. Color: 155D.         -   Petals.—Arrangement: Five petals; four upper petals fused at             base to form an upright lobed and arched upper or banner             lip; lower petal modified into a large lip with convex oval             protuberance and nectar spur. Shape: Oval to obovate. Apex:             Rounded. Margin: Entire. Length: Center upper petals: About             7 mm. Lateral upper petals: About 6 mm. Lower petal: About             8 mm. Width: Center upper petals: About 4 mm. Lateral upper             petals: About 6 mm. Lower petal: About 1.4 cm. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When             opening, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 155D. Fully             opened, upper surface: Close to 155D; protuberance, close to             14B. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 155D; nectar             spur, close to 157B.         -   Sepals.—Arrangement: Calyx star-shaped with five sepals             fused at the base. Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Acute. Margin:             Entire. Length: About 4 mm. Width: About 2 mm. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper surface:             146A. Color, lower surface: 146B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 3 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 cm.             Angle: Erect. Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color:             146A.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Angle:             About 30° to 45° from peduncle axis. Strength: Strong.             Texture: Pubescent. Color: 146B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity/arrangement: Four per             flower. Filament length: About 1 mm to 3 mm. Filament color:             Close to 155D. Anther shape: Oval. Anther length: Less than             1 mm. Anther color: 12B. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen             color: 12C. Pistils: Quantity: One per flower. Pistil             length: About 3 mm. Style length: About 1 mm. Style color:             145C. Stigma shape: Rounded. Stigma color: 145C. Ovary             color: 145A. Seed/fruit: Seed and fruit development have not             been observed on plants of the new Nemesia. -   Pathogen/pest resistance: Plants of the new Nemesia have not been     observed to be resistant to pests and pathogens common to Nemesia. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Nemesia have been observed to     tolerate wind and rain and have good garden performance. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Nemesia have been observed     to tolerate temperatures from about 5° C. to about 35° C. 

1. A new and distinct Nemesia plant named ‘Innkarwhi’ as illustrated and described. 